Transcript Folie 1 - FREMO-Web

on Large Modular Layouts
Reinhard Müller
DCC on Large Modular Layouts – Seattle 2004
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CLP2_1024_0580.jpg
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Analog_0605.jpg
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Special Environment:
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Layout is not permanent
Less compact as permanent layouts
Layout is different each time
Set-up has to work almost instantly
This results in an "oversized" system
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Systems not compatible with NMRA DCC:
• Märklin Motorola:
80/256 Addresses and 14 speed steps,
No throttle bus
• Selectrix:
112 addresses and 31 speed steps
Smooth operation with BEMF
Throttle bus not designed for extended length.
• FMZ and Zimo:
proprietary format without a real future.
Today these manufacturers offer NMRA DCC
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Our Needs
• Both short and long addresses at the same time
• 14, 28 and 128 speed steps at the same time
• Cab bus length minimum 1000 foot
Our Wishes
• No throttle IDs
• Dumb throttles for Train crews
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Our Needs
• Both short and long addresses at the same time
• 14, 28 and 128 speed steps at the same time
• Cab bus length minimum 1000 foot
Our Wishes
• No throttle IDs
• The protocol of the throttle bus shall be available
• The throttle bus shall be easy to interface to
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DCC manufacturers
• Lenz (in 1997):
No long addresses, No 128 speed steps,
bus limited to 330 foot in linear topology only
• Zimo:
All we wanted and more
but too expensive due to extra features not needed.
• SystemOne / NCE:
also all we needed, but throttle IDs and polled bus.
• Digitrax:
All we needed, throttle IDs not mandatory,
network style bus, distributor in Germany
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DCC System Selected
• Throttle Bus:
LocoNet, having both throttle bus and booster control
bus in a single cable
• Command Station:
Digitrax DCS100 (Chief) or
Uhlenbrock Intellibox or
DIY command station based on a PC
• Throttles:
Our DIY throttle called FRED
(FREMOs einfacher Drehregler)
• Boosters:
Optoinsulated boosters either DIY or from Lenz
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Booster Set-up
• Distributed boosters using the LocoNet
cable running along the whole layout
anyway
• Boosters close to center of the power
district they supply results in lower
requirements for the wiring
• No power managers as they would spoil
the principles above
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Grounding
Booster A
Booster B
LocoNet
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Grounding
Booster A
Booster B
Ground Wire
LocoNet
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Grounding
Booster A
Booster B
optoinsulation
optoinsulation
LocoNet
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Optoinsulation – Drawbacks
• Locos with offset pick-up may stall at gap
• UP3 / UP5:
The track power conn. may not be used
The wall wart approach doesn’t help either
• Extra supply for throttles needed resulting
in
RailSync boosters supplying
RailSync districts
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RailSync Loads
• RailSync output of the DSC 100 can supply
– 125 mA line to line or
– 250 mA line to ground
• Equivalent to e.g.
– 4 boosters + 14 throttles
• For higher loads the cable is regarded as too
thin
• so dividing the layout into RailSync districts
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CLP_RailSync_1024.gif
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RailSync Booster
• Current limiting needed (RSCLD)
• Easy solution as within the DCS 100
– 2 resistors of 27 Ohm
• Diodes needed to get ground reference
again
• One booster may drive multiple RSCLDs
• The booster in the command station is
used
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RSCLD7_1024_0520.jpg
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Wiring
• Star type topology with central RSCLD node
• This reduces voltage drop along the LocoNet
• No use of UP3 / UP5
• DIY plug-in boxes:
– Placed where the current layout needs them
– Easily attached and replaced in case of failure
• LocoNet only integrated in stations
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Plug_Box_0455.jpg
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Plug_Plate1_0461.jpg
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Plug-Plate2_0537.jpg
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Plug_bi_0452.jpg
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Plug-Digitrax_0537.jpg
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F-Booster_0449.jpg
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Booster_Lenz_0527.jpg
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Bickburg_booster_1024_0524.jpg
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Polarity
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No chance to insure the polarity
So just testing, starting from a central point
Test either with dedicated tester or a loco
Fixed polarity within stations with multiple
booster due to common polarity switch.
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Throttles
• A pod for speed control with a direction
switch.
• Single hand operation with either hand.
• As slim as possible.
• No address selection on its own.
• No battery, requiring a low current design.
• Wireless out of reach :-(
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The FRED
It proves
how easy DCC can be.
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FRED Success Story
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... even with problems at the start
First guess: 30 throttles are enough
Then each loco kept it's FRED
People want to use them at home
330 FREDs with commercial PCBs
+ 560 FRED PCBs
+ 1575 FRED Kits
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Long Addresses.
• Each loco gets a fixed address
• Blocks of 100 addresses per group
i.e. decentralized administration.
• Each scale full set of addresses
• But not each gauge
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Multiple command stations?
• "There can be only one" -> NO
• Limited DCC bandwidth -> Yes
• Switched block approach:
– Throttle needs to transfer address
• Switching under the running train
• It can be done - with care
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Multi_CS_switch_0532.jpg
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What did DCC to our club?
• DCC was introduced faster then expected
– Modules allow "per meeting" decision
– But each member to be convinced
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Larger layouts - errors stay local
Larger stations - no block switches
More train crews - double track mainline
No technical limits to for the operation
Most FREMO groups now with DCC
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with
A Lot of Operating Fun
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Fun_IMG_0535.jpg
www.fremo.org
dcc-mueller.de/seattle
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